


Recover

by FMTomiko



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Rise of Kyoshi, The Shadow of Kyoshi
Genre: Angst, Bending (Avatar), Canon Lesbian Relationship, Earthbending & Earthbenders, F/F, Firebending & Firebenders, Gen, Horsestance, Kyoshi POV, Rangi POV, Self-Discovery, Self-Doubt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:40:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27462832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FMTomiko/pseuds/FMTomiko
Summary: This story occurs during the Shadow of Kyoshi in the time period between when Kyoshi drowns herself to talk to Kuruk and going back to the Avatar mansion to face Yun. Kyoshi journeys to Rangi's homeland island to ask for forgivness and help. Rangi will work through emotional turmoil. Kyoshi will learn how to master her healing abilities through Atuat. Both will work to expand their abilities as they prepare to face off with Yun. We'll see how their relationship recovers from the chaos leading up to their reunion in the Fire Nation.
Relationships: Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49





	1. Monument

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction.
> 
> I wanted to explore what happens during the month period that isn't written in the book Shadow of Kyoshi, just before Kyoshi faces Yun. I will going back and forth between Kyoshi's point of view and Rangi's point of view. I also wanted to explore how Rangi deals with her emotional turmoil and how Hei-Ran deals with her daughter during these times. I moved the location to where Rangi grew up.

“Right here looks good.” Kyoshi pointed down from Yingyong’s back at a clearing surrounded by trees swaying gently in the wind.

“Are you sure? We’re quite a way away from where Rangi is. At least a quarter of a day.” The air nomad responded.

“Jinpa, it will be okay. I need time to gather my nerves. I’m not sure if Rangi will forgive me this time.” The young avatar sighed, her head hanging slightly. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Kyoshi turned to see her friend wearing a reassuring smile

“Rangi deeply cares about you, as much as you do her.” Jinpa said. “The week apart will only have given her time to simmer down and reflect on her emotions.”

Kyoshi wasn’t convinced. “I just keep messing up. Getting myself into situations that I know will hurt her.”

The monk sighed. “Maybe she just needs you to be honest with her.”

“But Hei-ran said…” Kyoshi protested. “That Rangi shouldn’t go to places that will bring her dishonor or tarnish her kind spirit…”

“Don’t you think that maybe Rangi can make those decisions for herself?” Jinpa suggested. “Or are you afraid of her seeing you in those low places?” Jinpa questioned carefully.

Kyoshi’s jade eyes darkened as she contemplated the possibility that she had been keeping a part of herself carefully hidden from Rangi. “I don’t know…” Kyoshi said as Yingyong touched down. Neither said anything for a long time. Finally, Kyoshi, wanting to fill the silence between them asked, “You know what to do with Kirima and Wong?”

“I have everything written down for The Flying Opera Company. The extra money should help.” The monk smiled. “Oh, and good luck with Rangi.”

Kyoshi smiled back. “Thank you Jinpa. I appreciate it and good luck with my friends”. Kyoshi climbed down from the sky bison. Jinpa took off on Yingyong and the displaced burst of air immediately surrounded Kyoshi in a blinding dust cloud which stung her eyes and tugged at her clothes and hair as it flew outwards. In the time it took for Kyoshi to regain her sight and bearings, Yingyong and Jinpa had already flown out of sight above and beyond the tree line. Standing in the center of the clearing, Kyoshi looked around. Her gaze moved from the sky to the treetops down to what appeared to be the only path out of the clearing. Allowing her gaze to continue falling she noticed a nearby patch of well trampled earth that someone had obviously paced over and over. Kyoshi felt a twinge of guilt. _Rangi was here._

With seemingly no other options, Kyoshi trekked along the path out of the clearing. She carried a small sack with a few basic supplies. It was a beautiful summer morning. Narrow sunbeams penetrated the canopy above, flickering in and out of existence as a light breeze caused the branches to sway and the leaves to quiver on their twigs. _I can’t believe this is Rangi’s homeland._ After her trip to the Capital Kyoshi had not imagined the Fire Nation could be so wild and beautiful. She couldn’t help but think of Rangi again. _I wish Rangi and I could have come back to her homeland together._ As Kyoshi walked along the path she noticed that the perfection of this idyllic forest was interrupted in places by trampled undergrowth and broken branches near the edge of the path. Someone had travelled this path before, and very recently from the look of it. Her thoughts returned to the Capital. _Why did Yun have to go to the Capital?_ His rage had ruined everything. Kyoshi wasn’t like Yun, or even Rangi for that matter, she hadn’t come to the Fire Nation for duty, she had come for Rangi.

The distant sound of running water pulled Kyoshi away from her thoughts and back to her body. She was suddenly aware of a dull fatigue in her legs and a dry unpleasant taste in her mouth. _How long have I been walking?_ As she continued along the path Kyoshi couldn’t help but notice how the pleasant morning sunbeams had given way to an oppressive sun, high in the midday sky. The sound of running water became louder with every step as the paths of both the creek and trail drew close to one another in this place. Kyoshi could no longer resist the idea of a short break and a drink of fresh cold water. Besides, it was an excuse to delay the likely painful reunion looming at the end of her journey that day.

Kyoshi stepped off the path. The soft dirt and decay of the forest floor muted her already light footsteps as she moved between trees down a gentle slope towards the sound of water. Kyoshi was pleased to find the lazy meandering creek was just out of sight of the forest path. She filled her nearly empty waterskin from the creek and then drank deeply from it. She topped it off again before sitting directly down on the sandy bank, removing her boots and sticking her feet into the cool water. She sighed, laying back on the warm sand. She could feel her muscles relax as the warm sun and sand melted her fatigue away.

She closed her eyes and allowed the gentle sound of water streaming slowly over rocks to draw her mind over memories of recent events. Her life had become, she paused taking a deep breath and searching for the right word, _chaos_ , since becoming the avatar. Kyoshi’s brows furrowed, the muscles in her face tightening as she ruminated on the words _chaos_ and _avatar._ Meditating on these words she felt anger well in her guts as she thought of Yun. Then, almost immediately anger gave way to horror as she thought of her own recent actions. _Am I as much of a monster as Yun has become? I do nothing but hurt the people closest to me._ She opened her eyes, noticing the charred branches and leaves in the canopy above. _Especially Rangi…_ Overwhelmed, her vision began to blur.

***

It had been a few days since Kyoshi left, leaving Rangi half buried in the ground. “What was she thinking?” Rangi growled to herself kicking at a rock in the creek and watching the water streak away. Rangi had decided to go for a walk in the nearby forest shortly after arriving at her mother’s house with Atuat. They deemed the house safe after Fire Lord Zoryu announced that the Fire Nation had captured Yun and ordered Saowan traitors across the nation to return home or risk being driven out, locked up, or killed. The news that Yun conspired against the Fire Nation with the Saowon clan was spreading like wildfire across the nation, but Rangi knew better. She saw the calculated way Yun exacted his personal revenge. _I never thought Yun could do such horrid things._ Rangi thought, the distasteful memory causing her throat to tighten uncomfortably. Rangi wondered how Yun had returned from almost certain death and a somehow worse thought occurred to her. _There is no way they caught him yet._

Rangi remembered Kyoshi’s chainmail which had been exposed in Yun’s attack at the party. She involuntarily clenched her hands into fists. _He almost killed my mother! He would have if…_ She inhaled a short gasp of air. _If Kyoshi listened to my mother…_ Her eyes closed tightly at the memory, forcing angry tears past long black lashes. The tears streamed down her cheeks. _She’s always hiding things from me._ The heat was building in her tightly balled fists. Livid, she cried out, uncontrolled flame surged unbidden from her mouth and exploded from between her fingers. The surrounding trees crackled, blackened from the outburst.

Rangi sniffed, wiping her eyes with her hands. Through tired puffy eyes, she looked around at the scorched foliage and setting sun. She was grateful for the secluded forest where her mother and Atuat would not see her in this state. Her thoughts returned, as always, to Kyoshi. _Maybe she’s heading back to the Earth Kingdom to find Yun._ Rangi mused darkly. The last she’d heard from Jinpa, the Avatar was on a ship at sea.

Rangi’s heart ached. _Why do I want her here so badly instead?_ She sniffed again, wiping her nose with her sleeve. _She'll probably forget to eat._ She choked with mirth at the thought. _Rocks for brains._

The leaves danced with the breeze, natures calming music filled Rangi’s ears. She sighed, her emotions now trickling away like the creek. “I guess I’d better head home, before mother worries.” With that the young soldier composed herself and returned home.

***

_Brightly glowing eyes gazed down at the firebender from an imperceptible darkness. Rangi felt a gentle hand caress her left cheek. She brought up her own hand to meet the other and leaned into the warmth it radiated. “Kyoshi…” Her heart pounded at the sight of the ethereal being._

_Lightening exploded across the pitch-black sky above them. The avatar broke her unblinking gaze with Rangi as she slowly turned her head toward the sound, her hand breaking contact and dropping to her side. The firebender latched on to the dropping arm. “Kyoshi! Stay with me!” she screamed over the sound accompanying another bolt. Her eyes widened as the tall woman turned back to look at her, face expressionless, eyes still glowing._

_In another moment, the ground rumbled and pitched Rangi aside violently, tearing Kyoshi from her grasp. Again, lightening cracked as a fissure split the earth between them. The earth continued to heave beneath her as she attempted to regain her footing and find the origin of the fissure. Desperately scanning the horizon, she could make out a pair of dim green lights. Eyes, she realized, staring from a distance. Panic washed over her. She looked at Kyoshi, wishing to return to the serenity of the preceding moment. Now, Kyoshi too noticed the distant being and fixed her unblinking gaze on it. Her eyes glowed even brighter now ominously lighting her face which had twisted into hideous rage. Rangi recoiled as a flaming vortex formed around Kyoshi, lifting her into the night sky. Kyoshi raised large chunks of rock which tore free from the earth to join the vortex orbiting Kyoshi’s lower body._

_“Kyoshi!!!” Rangi screamed in a panicked voice, “Come back!!!” The avatar was deaf to her plea. Another tremor shook the ground beneath Rangi casting her into the widening fissure. She screamed plunging into the depths of ice-cold water. Her lungs spasmed as she fought the instinct to draw breath. Unable to see, she swam in a direction she hoped was up. Finally, her head broke the turbulent surface. It was little better than the depths as water roared around her, choppy waves obscured her vision and filled her nose and mouth. Looking up she could make out a great spiral of water which was freeing itself from the fissure to join Kyoshi’s vortex, “KYOSHI!!! HELP!!!” she screamed. Every element was now at Kyoshi’s disposal and she began to move away. Already struggling to stay afloat, Rangi could feel an undercurrent dragging her down and away from her only hope of rescue. “HELP ME!!! KYOS--!” A massive wave broke over her. Currents rushed around her, rotating her oxygen starved body on every axis as it forced her deeper and deeper below. This time, Rangi could not free her limbs to fight her way to the surface again. Rangi was drowning._

Clawing the air. Rangi's eyes snapped open. She sat up, sweat dripping from her forehead. Her eyes darting around the room. _It was a dream!_ She gasped, remembering, relieved, that she could breath. “It was a dream….” She flung her feet off the bed and walked to her simple wooden dressing table which had a small, polished bronze mirror perched on top.

Rangi gazed into the reflection of her own dark bronze eyes, noting the shadows underneath. Her messy onyx hair parted down the middle; strands stuck to her sweaty face. She took a deep breath, releasing with it some of the tension in her chest. “What in the spirits was that about?” She felt an ominous chill run down her spine. “Maybe some fresh air will help.” She quietly proceeded down the hall taking careful steps to avoid the spots she knew the floor would creak. She did not want to wake the two older women in the house.

Rangi stepped outside. A sliver of moon hung low in the sky and the grounds outside the house were dark, but she had walked this path enough times that it didn’t matter. She made her way past a small garden and through an opening in a low stone wall into a large open training area. It was the coolest part of the night, soon day would break. A calm washed over her as she took a dozen slow steps into the middle of the training area. Here she paused for a moment, adjusting to the feel of the packed earth against her bare feet. Standing tall, she brought her heels and toes together ensuring her spine was in perfect alignment. She drew in a breath, held tension in her body and envisioned pushing it down through her body into the earth. Rangi's hands rested at her side, her shoulders back and down. Her long fingers began to curl in conjunction with her slow deep inhale. Fists formed, pulling upwards until they rested positioned at the top of her waist, ready to punch. Curling her wrists, she continued to inhale, bringing them parallel to her chest. Holding her breath for a moment, she held tension as flame charged inside her. Slightly opening her mouth, she exhaled pushing her wrists back down to the top of her waist. She repeated the process two more times.

Rangi pushed her heels out, then toes positioning herself into a deep horse stance. She slightly twisted her feet, grasping the dirt with her toes and anchoring herself to the earth. Toes forward, hips tucked, shoulders back and down. _Maintain._ 30 minutes should be easy enough. Rangi continued to take slow deep breaths as she held her stance. Heat continued to slowly charge inside her. Rangi’s muscles stretched and unbound like snakes in the sun. Like meditation, she could feel that moving her body would clear her mind.

As the first rays of the morning sun streaked orange and pink across the eastern sky, Rangi could feel a flame wake up and replace the middling heat that had been building in her body. Sweat trickled down the side of her face. She glanced at a row of person-sized stone punching blocks opposite her. _It’s been awhile since I’ve tried to crumble one of those stones. It would be so easy as an earth bender, and so satisfying._ She chuckled to herself. The 30 minutes were up. She slowly came up and stretched her legs.

Combing her fingers back through her hair, Rangi moved over to her favorite corner of the training grounds. She did a few practice jabs to feel the power of her bending flow through her body, letting the flames explode from her knuckles. “I wonder….” She planted herself into another horse stance in front of the punching stone. “The Avatar isn’t the only one that can learn from all the elements. I mean I learned jet stepping from a water bender and an earth bender.” Rangi thought out loud.

With measured breaths, Rangi inhaled cool twilight air through her nose, and pushed heated air out through her mouth as she punched. She alternated right, then left, then right in rhythm with her breathing. Each strike more explosive than the last. Sinking lower into horse stance, she imagined she was drawing fire up from the molten core of the earth through her feet and into her legs and core. Each punch drew power through the rippling muscles of her arms like a fuse, ending in precise and explosive jets washing over different parts of the stone. The power was exhilarating.

 _I'll have to try generating lightning. Or at least practice until I can bend it._ Rangi hadn't been this excited to test her abilities in a while. Learning jet stepping and implementing it for battle purposes was fun. Now, she wanted to try hitting the punching stone with an earthbending move, peculiarly called a sun fist. Typically, earthbenders used it to catapult giant boulders straight into charging enemies, but Rangi wondered what effect firebending would have while utilizing such a powerful move.

Rangi changed stances, moving her right foot forward and shifting her weight onto it while straightening her rear leg. She took a few minutes to practice the transition between the two stances. With every transition she pulled her rear fist back as her opposite fist struck out in time with the shifting weight. After a time, she was ready to face the stone. She adjusted her stance as she stared down her rocky foe. _OK just punch through the stone._ Rangi said to herself, almost believing the stone would yield to her will as it would an earthbenders. She inhaled a final deep breath and charged, attacking on the exhale. Nearly white-hot flames shot out of her aptly named sun fist as she sank into a deep aggressive horse stance. The firebender couldn’t help a small self-indulgent smile as her heart pounded with excitement. _White flames!?!_ She held her stance as the punching stone crumbled in front of her.

Rangi rewarded herself with a short break to assess the damage.

“Rangi! Is everything alright?” A raspy voice called out.

“I was training.” She looked over to see Hei-Ran sitting on the low stone wall.

“You don’t look so well. Are you sure?” Her mother gave a concerned look.

Rangi anxiously adjusted her hair with her fingers in response. “You still need to take care of your throat mother. Get some more rest. I am okay. I just felt like training.”

The older woman raised a brow “Take a break. Have some tea and breakfast with us.”

“I-uh. I would like to do a couple of forms first.”

Her mother’s eyes glanced over at the pile of rubble. “Hmmm… Don't burn yourself out.”

Rangi put her fist in her hand and bowed. “Don’t worry mother.” She looked back up at the older reflection of herself. “Love you.”

A nearly imperceptible smile emerged, slightly wrinkling the corners of Hei-Ran's eyes. “You too, my little tigerdillo.” She walked away.

Rangi's cheeks flushed. _How long was she watching…_ Rangi inspected her right hand. _Did she notice my flame?_

Shrugging, she decided to work on a basic form using the white flame. Then she would try lightning bending.


	2. Come As You Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rangi tries to bend lightning. Still trying to sort through her emotions, she and Hei-Ran have a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! I was able to get this chapter out! YAY! I did my best trying to channel teenage angst. I wanted a nice little moment between Hei-Ran and Rangi. Hope you like it. Sorry for taking so long to post.

A couple of days had passed since Rangi had started training. She restricted herself to isolated parts of the island. The last thing she wanted was her mother's incessant watchful gaze evaluating her every movement. Bending lightning was proving to be more difficult than she imagined. Finding herself in a deep horse stance in the center of a desolate forest clearing, Rangi began endless efforts to replicate the movements she’d remembered Xu Ping An performing, before he’d had the nerve to strike _her_ Avatar. His movements had seemed more fluid than typical fire bending techniques, kind of how water benders flow between negative and positive jing. She thought back to Kyoshi’s basic water bending lessons with Kirima.

Rangi again closed her eyes forcing her body to ebb and flow through stances. She could feel electric current running along the packed muscle fibers of each arm. The charge ran from one hand, through her body, and into the other hand. She could circle this intense energy through her core and even hold it briefly. It was absolutely invigorating. However, every time Rangi felt she was ready to release the energy out into the wild, all she got were sparks which either terminated fruitlessly in her outstretched pointer and middle fingers or exploded just beyond them. She’d never struggled so much with a single movement. She could feel the energy, couldn’t she? She knew it was more than a mere flame rushing through her, but she had nothing to show for all her effort. Exasperated she slung her pack over shoulder and returned home, same as the day before and the day after.

Lost in thought, Rangi sat at the edge of her bed, head sagging under some invisible burden Her eyes were closed and face somber under the curtains of sleek raven hair which now obscured the sides of her face. Nightmares still invaded her sleep, though not nearly as bad as the first one. _Kyoshi wouldn’t really leave me. Would she?_ _We spent over a year apart…._ A soft knock shocked her back to reality.

“Some tea for your thoughts?” Hei-Ran stood in the doorway holding a tray with a teapot and a couple of small ceramic cups. Despite the late hour, her quiet voice was surprisingly clear, the persistent rasping was barely perceptible anymore. Atuat was surely a miracle worker.

Rangi brushed her hair back with her fingers, managing a small grim smile for her mother’s sake. “Sure.” She sighed.

The older woman set the tray on the bed side table and poured two cups of tea, handing one to Rangi, before taking a seat beside her on the bed. Hei-ran, though not unkindly, got right to the point, “You haven’t acted like this since your father passed away.”

Rangi, slightly taken aback, looked wide-eyed at her mother. “You haven’t put your hair up in a week, Hei-Ran continued. “I never see you here, you’re constantly training. What’s bothering you?”

“I guess I'm upset with Kyoshi.” Rangi said flatly and took a sip of tea.

“What for?” Her mother questioned.

“She actually physically stopped me from coming with her,” Rangi scoffed. “Left me here while she went off to interrogate that woman… Apparently, I wasn’t even important enough for an explanation!” The tea started to seethe in the cup she was holding. “How am I supposed to just forgive her!?”

“Kyoshi was just trying to protect you.” The older woman said, looking down at her own cup, her conflicted expression reflected in the surface of the warm liquid.

Rangi stared, flawlessly interpreting her mother’s change in demeanor. “You had something to do with this!” Rangi’s hands clinched tighter around the cup, anger peaking. “Like you were using yourself as bait or something!!” Rangi realized incredulously, as her tea started boiling over.

Hei-Ran furrowed her brows. “Young Lady! Calm yourself!” Her voice was stern, but not risen.

Rangi clinched her jaw. “Besides, why would _I_ need any protection?” The tea returned to a simmer. “You two come up with the most nonsensical plans. Look where it’s gotten us!”

Her mother was caught momentarily off-guard. She exhaled slowly. “You are a kind soul.” She put her hand on Rangi's shoulder. “There are places Kyoshi shouldn’t take you.”

“Well, that’s a first.” Rangi muttered before immediately recognizing her mistake.

Taking a measured sip of tea, Hei-Ran raised both eyebrows. “Oh? How so?”

Rangi, now completely out of control, quickly spilled out, “You weren’t there when Kyoshi came back to the mansion. You didn’t see how panicked she was. I could never let her travel by herself. She would have died!” Rangi was trying to explain herself without letting her mother know that she’d kept key details of their adventures from her.

“So you’ve said.” Her mother’s dark bronze eyes narrowed, and she calmly continued, “What were you keeping from me?” The interrogation had started.

The firebender nervously tapped her fingers on her cup, searching for an out. _I was careless… How am I going to fix this_ “I-uh… I….” Unable to find a solution, she decided to simply tell the truth. She figured her mother would drag it out of her by the end of the conversation, and a morbid little part of her wanted to know how her overprotective mother would like to hear the truth. “You know those people that helped save you?”

“Yes…” Her mother was staying surprisingly calm.

“They are… They are daofei. The Flying Opera Company. We were- Uh... We are apart of their gang.” Rangi tryed to sound casual as her face turned the deep red color of her crimson tunic. “They were founded by Kyoshi’s parents.”

Out of the corner of her eye she saw tea spraying out of her mother’s mouth. “Wait!! WHAT!?” Hei-Ran suddenly rasped, coughing.

“I almost died in a lei tai, but now I’m the champion in some daofei town.” Rangi continued to ramble, committing to a rabbit hole that wasn’t getting any shallower. “That's how I got Kyoshi’s attention. I let myself get hit to make a point.”

“Wait, wait!”

Rangi couldn’t stop. “Then we rescued Xu Ping An. The leader of the Yellow necks. Kyoshi challenged him to a lei tai and he knew how to bend lightning! Almost took Kyoshi out right from the start. Then she went into the Avatar State and killed him….”

Hei-Ran grabbed Rangi’s hand firmly. “Put your tea down and look at me.” She did not disobey, her cheeks still flush. “So.” Hei-Ran paused. “All of that, for Kyoshi?” Her mother’s shock turned to contemplation as she decided how she would handle Rangi. “I will give you a pass for now. You _will_ explain everything when you are much calmer.” Hei-Ran commanded.

Rangi, nonplussed, did not wait to calm down. “I kept my moral codes mother! And lightly nudged Kyoshi in a better direction for her Avatarhood!”

“So, you purposefully almost killed yourself _just_ to lightly nudge Kyoshi?” Hei-Ran raised a brow.

“I made my point….” Rangi felt her resolve waning as she knew her mother was picking apart her justifications… “Kyoshi can be a little thick headed.” Rangi explained, a small smile crept onto her face as she recalled their first kiss, shared their first intimate moment.

Moving on, her mother inspected Rangi’s hands, touching the tip of her index and middle finger. “Are you trying to create lightning?” She asked bluntly.

“I’m strong enough.” Rangi opened her hand. “I _will_ eventually get it.”

“You’re too emotional.” Her mother ridiculed. How much did the older woman know on the topic? Rangi vowed to find out more later.

Desperate to prove her point Rangi exclaimed, “Look at this!” A lazy orange flame appeared at the palm of her hand. Rangi pressed her brows together, focusing. The small flame began flickering and slowly reddened. She took heavy measured breaths through her nostrils. The room heated up as the fire morphed, first flickering erratically and sparking violently before eventually stabilizing into a brilliant white blaze interspersed with muted yellow tendrils. “I can change the color of my flame!” Rangi’s lips curled with excitement.

Hei-Ran’s eyes widened, a genuine smile creasing the corners. “You never cease to amaze me!” The flame lit the room brighter than a summer sunrise. Her mother tenderly grasped the back of her daughter’s hand, closing it, snuffing out the impressive flame.

The heat lingered for quite some time after the flame was put out, even as the room darkened back to midnight hues.

Rangi gazed into her mother’s eyes, tears forming. “I will burn Yun to ashes for what he’s done!” Her voice was foreboding.

“Kyoshi is likely already heading his way,” The older woman sighed. “to take care of him.”

“She can’t do it alone! Yun is too skilled!” She gritted her teeth. “She has amazing raw power, but she is still learning.” Rangi had to admit to herself that Kyoshi was an insanely quick learner. She had picked up all the elements within a month. Prior to that she couldn’t even bend a pebble in her own element.

“Rangi… Kyoshi is the Avatar.” Hei-Ran advised. “She’ll be fine.”

“Kyoshi is not Kuruk!” She clinched her fist, raising her voice. Rangi had heard numerous stories from her mother about the water Avatar.

Her mother pursed her lips. “Of course, she isn’t.” Hei-Ran put a hand on Rangi’s shoulder to attempt to calm her daughter’s rage. The room still stuffy from the extra heat.

“Don’t you _think_ mother, that maybe.” She paused. “The Avatar might need help too? That maybe they _shouldn’t_ have to deal with the world’s problems by themselves.” Rangi sniffed, trying to calm down as her hands started trembling, tears now streaming down her cheeks.

It wasn’t often her mother showed compassion, but she embraced Rangi in a rare hug and allowed her daughter to sob into her shoulder. “You are a better person than I am.”

“I’m not though….” Rangi whined into her mother’s robes. “I-I….”

A chill crept into the room as Rangi began to let go of her rage, body slack as she sank into her mother’s embrace.

“Shhhh. Don't lie to yourself. You have your father's sweet heart. I always admire that about you. You're truly loyal to the ones you love.”

It had been some time, Hei-Ran could feel her daughter become heavy, still sniffing occasionally. “You care too much my little tigerdillo.” She gently laid Rangi down and put a blanket over her. “Sleep peaceful tonight.” She kissed the top of her forehead and slipped quietly out of the room.

***

Rangi slowly opened her eyes, still sticky from her emotional outburst. _When did I fall asleep?_ She looked over at her bedside table. _A note? How long was I out?_ She rolled to her side and grabbed the paper.

_Rangi, Atuat and I went into town to the market. We should be back late afternoon. Hopefully, you feel better and are more rested. You have been through a lot recently, don’t beat yourself up. Love, your mother._

A small smile appeared across her face. “Thanks mother….” She put the note back on the table. “I should get ready. Maybe eat something.” Her stomached growled, she had skipped dinner.

Something felt a little different today. Rangi couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She slid out of bed and grabbed a black robe with red trim and the gold sash that went with it. She walked over to the vanity and changed. A messy raven-haired woman stared back at her from the polished mirror. “I need a bath.” She grabbed a comb brushing her hair back and letting it part in the middle. A few stray strands of hair stuck out in front of her forehead from the part.

She noticed that the shadows under her eyes had disappeared. _No nightmares. That’s why I feel different._ She hummed. _Relieved, I guess._

“Food first, then I’ll bathe.” She walked out of the room and down the hall. A noise at one end of the hall gave her pause. Rangi glanced toward the entry just as the door swung open. Recognizing the hulking figure in the doorway, her eyes widened with excitement. _Kyoshi!!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Editing this was a bit of a challenge. I'm excited for the next chapter.
> 
> I have a couple other projects I'm writing. I have no clue why I'm trying to do so much, even though I work a ridiculous amount of hours. Anyways, thank you again for reading. All of you are awesome!
> 
> Have a wonderful day everyone! :)

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank my wife for helping me edit my work. There will be more to come. I will try to update the chapters once a month, because I work a full time job. I listened to The Naked and Famous album Recover while writing this fanfiction and decided to use the song names for the title and chapters for this.


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